Monday, September 19, 2011

Pirates Spotted off Lake Ontario!

*Before I continue, I just have to point out that today (September 19) is national Talk Like a Pirate Day! How convenient!!

There have been numerous Pirate sightings in Oswego this past summer, so I decided some investigative work was in order. I invited my new coworker, Cassie, to aid me on my mission of discovering these so-called pirates. We headed over to the H. Lee White Marine Museum, where the rumored pirate sightings were taking place.

The rumors were true!

We found ourselves surrounded by pirates - young and old, congregating at the museum! Apparently, every summer, they meet up for a special "Pirate's Day" event!

I think Oswego County must be pretty awesome if pirates choose us for their meet up destination. It must be all of the water... we have Oneida Lake, Redfield Reservoir, Salmon River, Oswego River and of course... Lake Ontario! Did you know Oswego County has more shoreline along the lake than any other NY county?

The strapping young pirates, all dressed to the nines, began their day by making treasure maps! After creating maps, the pirates split up to hunt down buried treasure. It could have been buried anywhere... at the museum, on the historic LT5 tug boat, or the Derrick Boat 8. All of the pirates found treasure in candy and other goodies!!

They all worked up a hearty appetite after hob nobbing on the deck and playing an intense game of musical chairs! It became cut-throat when not one, but TWO chairs were taken away each round until the last two pirates were left to square off. It was a head-to-head fight and everyone watched intently until a young buccaneer was finally crowned the victor.

The hungry pirates sat down for lunch, which was grub so grand they were stuffed in no time. My mouth was watering as plate after plate was brought out by the young lasses helping accommodate the pirates.

Before the day was over, the mates tried their luck at winning dubloons for their journey back home.

If you have a little pirate who would like to participate in the Marine Museum Kids' Pirate Days next year, you can call 315-342-0480 or visit their website at http://www.hleewhitemarinemuseum.com/.

If hanging out with pirates isn't your cup of tea, there are a lot of other things you can do at the Marine Museum:

9/24 Sat. “Lighthouses of Oswego,” 1:30pm. Part two of a three-part mini lecture, featuring Ted Panayotoff, lighthouse historian and City of Oswego Lighthouse Committee chair who will discuss the various lights, the lighthouse keepers and related topics that spanned Oswego’s rich maritime history. H. Lee White Marine Museum, 315/342-0480, info@hleewhitemarinemuseum.com.

10/1 Sat. “Lighthouses of Oswego,” 1:30pm. Part three of the mini lecture, featuring Ted Panayotoff, lighthouse historian and City of Oswego Lighthouse Committee chair who will discuss the various lights, the lighthouse keepers and related topics that spanned Oswego’s rich maritime history. H. Lee Whtie Marine Museum, 315/342-0480, info@hleewhitemarinemuseum.com.